What States Allow You to Live In an RV? [Complete List]

DUSTYTRAIL What States Allow You to Live In an RV?

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Living in an RV, whether on your own property or free traveling between campsites and parks, offers tons of benefits.

However, it’s important to know what states and areas are safe to live in full-time, what their laws and regulations are, and which aren’t. 

Below, we’re organized a list of every RV-friendly state in the country as well as a bit of info regarding their regulations, whether a permit is required, and more.

Note: Every city and municipality is different, so these are general state guidelines. Before deciding to live in your RV full-time anywhere, make sure to check with those areas to ensure they’re RV friendly and what is required to live there for any length of time.

Let’s go!

What States Allow You to Live In an RV?

DUSTYTRAIL What States Allow You to Live In an RV?

Fortunately, most states allow you to live in an RV in one way or another.

With that said, every state is a bit different from the next (and every city, as we touch on later). 

For every state listed below, we’ve done our best to specify what particular conditions each state requires to be met. 

Here are the states that allow you to live in an RV:  

Alabama 

Alabama has relatively lax RV laws, with the only state-wide requirement being to register your RV with the local county office.

Arizona 

Arizona does not bar living in an RV full-time, though make sure to check the local laws of the area you’ll be staying as they may (or require a permit, license, or other documentation).

Arkansas 

In Arkansas, you can live in an RV full-time so long as you’re living on private property.

California 

California is another state with lax RV laws. They have no law barring living in an RV full-time, only local laws requiring that there is no health hazard or nuisance caused by your presence.

Each area in California has different requirements in terms of permits, however, so make sure to check the area you’ll be staying in. 

Colorado 

Colorado does not bar living in an RV full-time. Make sure to check with local laws for any permit, license, or other documentation requirement.

Connecticut 

You’re free to live in your RV full-time in Connecticut so long as you have a valid license plate and register your RV with the DMV. 

Florida 

Florida allows you to live in an RV full-time as long as your RV has hookups and follows local code requirements.

Georgia 

Georgia allows you to live full-time in your RV in general, but check the local laws and regulations of the area you’re considering staying.

Illinois

Illinois allows you to live full-time in your RV in general, but check the local laws and regulations of the area you’re considering staying.

Indiana 

Indiana allows you to live full-time in your RV in general, but check the local laws and regulations of the area you’re considering staying.

Iowa 

Iowa allows you to live full-time in your RV. You need to follow local laws requiring that there is no health hazard or nuisance caused by your presence.

Kansas 

In Kansas, you can live in an RV full-time so long as you’re living on private property. You also need a valid Kansas DMV registration number.

Louisiana 

Louisanna allows you to live full-time in your RV so long as you get a routine health inspection if living long-term.

Maine 

Maine allows you to live full-time in your RV, but local laws and regulations vary more greatly here than in other states. Most areas allow you to live there so long as you do not cause a health hazard or nuisance.

Massachusetts 

Indiana allows you to live full-time in your RV so long as you’re on private land. Check the local laws and regulations of the area you’re considering staying.

Minnesota 

Minnesota allows you to live full-time in your RV in several of its state parks so long as you obtain a permit and follow local laws.

Mississippi 

Mississippi allows you to live full-time in an RV as long as you’re living on private property with permission and follow local laws and regulations.

Montana

In Montana, you can live in your RV full-time so long as you’re on private property.

Nebraska 

Nebraska allows RVers to live full-time so long as you have a permit for stays greater than 30 days.

Nevada 

Nevada allows you to live in your RV full-time long-term so long as you live outside of town or city borders (i.e. local state parks for the most part). All RVs used for full-time use must have a full bathroom with toilet and shower. 

New Hampshire 

New Hampshire allows you to live in an RV full-time, but they have few more stringent regulations in place depending on the area. Make sure to check with the specific area you’re considering to find out what those are.

New Jersey 

New Jersey allows you to live in an RV full-time as long as it’s on private property and with a permit and you follow local health and safety laws.

New Mexico 

New Mexico is a bit stringent about RV living, with many areas requiring sewage hookups full-time. Other more common requirements are registration with the New Mexico DMV. 

New York 

New York allows full-time RV living as long as it’s on private property and you’ve obtained a permit. 

North Dakota 

North Dakota is fairly lax about RV living, making it one of the better choices. However, make sure to check with local laws as some will have their own unique requirements.

Ohio

Ohio is fairly lax about RV living, with the main requirement being that the RV is parked somewhere that meets that area’s zoning requirements and they’ve received a permit from the local government. 

Oklahoma 

In Oklahoma, you can live in an RV full-time so long as you obtain a valid Oklahoma DMV registration number.

Oregon 

Oregon is another lax state and a great option for full-time RVing. You’re even allowed to park on public land so long as you’re not a nuisance in any way. You can also stay in any particular location for up to 14 days without permit.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania allows you to live full-time in your RV so long as it’s on private property and you follow local laws. 

Rhode Island 

Rhode Island is quite friendly to RVers. You can live in your RV freely so long as you’re in accordance with local laws.

South Carolina 

In South Carolina, you’re allowed to live full-time in your RV so long as you’re parked lawfully on private property.

South Dakota 

South Dakota is extremely free and open to full-time RV living, without any specific state restrictions. However, make sure to check with local laws and regulations in the area you’re considering.

Tennessee 

Tennessee allows you to live in an RV full-time, but it has fairly strict zoning requirements in some areas so it really depends on where you’re traveling to.

Texas 

Texas is a great state for RVing as it has no specific laws against it, you simply need to register your RV with the county and follow local laws. 

Utah 

Utah is another state with lax RV laws, allowing RVers to live full-time so long as they follow state and local laws and register their RV with the local DMV.

Vermont 

In Vermont, you can live in an RV so long as it’s on private property. 

Virginia 

Virginia allows you to live in your RV so long as you obtain a permit. Some areas, however, require sewage hookups so make sure to check local laws.

West Virginia 

West Virginia allows full-time RV living so long as you register your RV with the local county. 

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, you can live in your RV so long as you follow local health hazard and nuisance laws and any other local ordinances.

Can You Legally Live In an RV on Your Property?

Whether you can legally live in an RV on your own property or not is all up to state regulations. 

As you can see from the list above, many states do allow you to live in an RV full time on private property. 

Some states that must be your own property, others not. In every case, those are states that are friendly to full-time RVers living on private property. 

Before deciding to travel full-time in your RV, make sure to double check that state and municipality’s local laws.

While a state might generally allow full-time RVers in some capacity, each city and municipality is often a little different from the next, and some will be more and less friendly to RVers.

4 Things to Consider If You Want to Live In Your RV Full-Time (Plan Accordingly)

If you’re considering living full-time in your RV, there are some things to take into account when deciding where to travel and stay along your journey.

This is relevant whether you’re planning on living at camp, on private property or yours or anothers, and no matter how often you’ll be moving about. 

Here are some things to consider before heading out:

Zoning laws and regulations

As we spoke about a moment ago, every area is different even within a particular state.

Zoning laws will determine if you can live in your RV in a particular area as well as the terms by which that is allowed. 

Permits and licenses

Many states and cities require permits or licenses to live in your RV. Going without one can lead to hefty fines and even being kicked out of where you’re staying in some cases. 

These aren’t generally very hard to get, however, you just need to do your homework and make sure you have them in place before setting out. 

Health and safety regulations

Many states with more lax RV regulations will have some basic health and safety requirements that need to be upheld.

Maintaining them generally isn’t hard, however, provided you’re already properly taking care of yourself and your RV. 

Sewage, water, and electrical hookups

Knowing where you’re going to get hookups is vital if you want to ensure a smooth trip or stay no matter where you are.

However, in some areas having proper sewage hookups especially is a requirement.

Make sure to find out if the areas you’ll be staying require sewage hookups as well as if the campsites you’ll be staying have them or not.

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